Personal safety

The following tips will help to stay safe at home:

• never allow strangers into your home. If somebody does call, check their identity card and if in doubt call the police
• if you live alone, use only your initials and surname on name plates and in phone directories
• don't state your phone number when you answer the phone and don't reveal you're alone

Someone in your home

If you think there's someone in your home:

• do not go in
• call the police from a neighbour's house
• if you're inside, call the police as soon as possible

Bogus callers

The following tips will help to protect you from bogus callers:

• when you answer the door, make sure you stop, chain and check
• remind elderly relatives of the stop, chain and check message
• before you answer your front door, make sure the back door is locked
• if you are at all unsure about a caller, don't let them in no matter what they say
• if a caller claims to be from an organisation, call them to double check
• it isn't rude to make someone wait on the doorstep while you check their credentials
• if you have elderly neighbours keep an eye on who's going to their door
• if their garden is untidy - one of the clues bogus callers look for - offer to help tidy it up